History: Turkey tail mushrooms are very popular, white-rot lignicolous fungus. Commonly used for its medicinal and nutritive properties. It has a long history of medical use in Asia, dating back over 2000 years in traditional Asian medicine (1). Locally, turkey tail mushroom is called ‘Ungi’ and is often used as a home remedy or a dietary supplement (2). It’s named turkey tail because of its rings of brown and tan look like the tail feathers of a turkey.

Taste and Texture: Turkey tail mushroom is sweet in nature, mild in taste, widely grown as saprophytes on many deciduous trees (oak, Prunus) and some conifers (fir and pine trees), with basidium mostly appearing on stubs and trunks throughout a year (3).

Turkey tail mushroom benefits

1. Rich in selenium

Turkey tail mushroom possesses the ability to accumulate and transform selenium into non-toxic form (L-selenomethionine). This can be used as a food supplement.

It also increases L-glutamic and L-aspartic acids in mycelium which is very beneficial as a flavor enhancer also improves antioxidative and antibacterial activities thus prolong the shelf life of food products with added health benefits (4).

Furthermore, 9 grams/day of Turkey tail mushroom is safe and tolerable in women with breast cancer. Thus can be used as an immunotherapeutic agent for cancer treatment and improving the survival and quality of life in patients suffering cancers, hepatopathy, hyperlipidemia, chronic bronchitis, and other complex diseases (6).

4. Antidiabetic properties of Turkey tail mushroom

The polysaccharide of this mushroom cuts the source of glucose from the intestine and increases glucose uptake by peripheral organs, such as liver, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle. Thus, reduced blood glucose levels increased glucose consumption in insulin-resistant cells and can be useful by diabetic patients who also suffer from cancer or microbial infections (9).

5. Treat fatigue

The presence of polysaccharides such as polysaccharopeptides and polysaccharide krestin inTurkey tail mushroom possesses significant anti-fatigue activity which improves strength, endurance swimming time and exercises performance by decreasing serum lactate, ammonia, and creatine kinase without any toxic effect (10).

8. Reduce toxic aflatoxin

Aflatoxin is the most harmful mycotoxin that produces by contaminated staple cereals such as maize. Therefore, cultivation Turkey tail mushrooms act as a ‘‘healing mushrooms’’ because it contains β-glucan which inhibits aflatoxin and stimulates the host immune response (13).

9. Antiviral properties of Turkey tail mushroom

Consumption of this mushroom helps in inhibiting HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and glycohydrolase enzyme associated with viral glycosylation which later expands the HIV virus (14). Furthermore Turkey tail mushroom may help heal infections, such as an oral strain of the human papillomavirus(HPV) (15).

10. Treat neurodegenerative diseases

Turkey tail mushroom contains phenols and flavonoids (baicalein, quercetin, daidzein, amentoflavone, and catechin) which inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity. Therefore, Turkey tail mushroom can be useful as an alternative source of bioactive substances to be used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases (16).

11. Improve gut health

Turkey tail mushroom is a rich source of polysaccharide peptide that acts as a prebiotic agent to increase good bacteria like Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus bacteria while reducing bad bacteria like Clostridium, Staphylococcus, and Enterococcus alter the composition of the microbial community which disrupts by various factors (17).

12. Proteins in Turkey tail mushrooms helps in boosting immunity

Turkey tail mushroom contains a protein known as TVC which increases the proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes enhances the production of both nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Therefore, turkey tail mushroom acts as an immunostimulant that can boost immune response may be useful for the development of new drug types for the treatment of cancer and various autoimmune diseases (18).

13. Antimicrobial properties

Turkey tail mushrooms are a good source of terpenoids, polysaccharides (polysaccharopeptides and polysaccharide krestin) and cinnamic acid which are beneficial for protection against various bacteria and fungi such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger (19).

14. Anti genotoxic properties

Turkey tail mushroom contains phenols and flavonoids which exhibit antigenotoxic effects (prevent damages the genetic information) able to stimulate genoprotective response of cells which further enhance immune function, toxin removal, and strengthening, which refers to the traditional use mode of DNA protection from oxidative damage (20).

15. Anticancer properties

Turkey tail mushroom benefits are due to antioxidants such as Ergosterol, Polysaccharide-K (Krestin; PSK) and polysaccharide peptide (PSP). Which can be used as an anticancer drug for cancer treatment along with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (21).

Side effect of Turkey tail mushroom

Researcher study suggested that intake of Turkey tail mushroom appears to be safe during pregnancy and no adverse effects or lethal effects were observed as a consequence of the daily administration of this mushroom (22). However, excessive intake of Turkey tail mushroom may decrease lung weights and platelet numbers (23).